Narrative technique · used in 6 films
Tracing revenge across its aftermath, showing how vengeance repeats or leaves the avenger empty instead of delivering satisfaction.
Examples
Fritz Lang · 1953
Bannion starts as a by-the-book cop and ends up outside the rules. The film shows what his anger costs the people around him.
Where to see it: Bannion's pursuit: after Katie's death he goes after the syndicate and Vince Stone, and others get hurt along the way.
Ingmar Bergman · 1960
Töre gets his revenge and still has nothing. His daughter is dead, and he is left asking God why it was allowed. The film refuses to let the killing feel like justice.
Where to see it: Töre searches for Karin's body: he vows to build a church on the spot, and a spring rises where her head lay.
John Carpenter · 1980
The ghosts come to take 6 lives to match the 6 founders who wrecked their ship. The town's history of greed comes due, and the film follows its cost. Even after the fog lifts, someone still pays.
Where to see it: The church: Father Malone offers the gold and himself to spare the others. Later, the fog returns and Blake kills Malone.
Barry Levinson · 1996
John and Tommy shoot Nokes in a pub in front of witnesses. The revenge reaches other guards, one of whom is later murdered. In the end John and Tommy die before 30 and Michael moves away, so the revenge wins in court and still breaks up the friends.
Where to see it: The pub shooting. In 1981, John and Tommy, now criminals, confront Nokes and shoot him in front of witnesses.
Park Chan-wook · 2002
Ryu kills the organ dealers who robbed him. Dong-jin then hunts Ryu, and Yeong-mi's friends finally turn on Dong-jin. Each revenge creates the next one, and nobody ends the film with anything.
Where to see it: The riverside killing. Dong-jin drags Ryu into the river and cuts his tendons, and the chain of revenge keeps going afterward.
Jennifer Kent · 2018
Clare's revenge costs her. Killing Jago does not bring back her family, and the hunt pulls Billy into danger until he is badly wounded in the final fight. The film gives her no clean win.
Where to see it: The killing of Jago. Clare finds the wounded soldier and beats and stabs him to death.
Questions